US President Joe Biden is asking Congress to allocate $6 billion to enhance energy security, including increasing uranium enrichment capacity, according to a document published by the presidential administration, Report informs.
In particular, the specified amount includes $2.2 billion, which is planned to be allocated through the US Department of Energy for “long-term improvement of internal capacities for the enrichment of low-enriched uranium and high-grade low-enriched uranium.”
It is asserted that this is a priority for national security as dependence on Russian sources of uranium creates risks for the US economy and its civilian nuclear industry.
"Without action, Russia will continue its hold on the global uranium market to the detriment of U.S. allies and partners. To be successful, this initiative would also require a long-term ban on enriched uranium product imports from the Russian Federation into the United States," the White House stated.